UPDATE: I plugged the numbers into Random.org and a winner has been chosen! The winner is comment #14! Kate said, “I’ve tried a bunch of Nicole’s recipes – they’re always a hit. The baked blooming onion is one of my favorites! Her Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Tacos with Jicama Slaw are on my shortlist to try soon.” So check your email Kate! If the prize isn’t claimed within 5 days a new winner will be selected. Thank you for all of your entries! It was awesome celebrating Nicole’s new cookbook!

I know I say it all the time, but one of the best parts about blogging is creating connections and friendships with fellow bloggers. It’s so fun to be connected with so many people spread across the United States, people that would otherwise be complete strangers if it weren’t for this weird hobby I have making food and taking pictures of it. The coolest is part is that these people get me. They don’t bat an eye when we meet in “real life” for the first time and I take a picture of my grilled cheese sandwich. And I don’t bat an eye at them taking pictures of their food either.

Nicole is one of those friends. We first met in person at the Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco and we instantly clicked. Like we had known each other for years! I was absolutely thrilled to get to see her again a few weekends ago when a group of awesome Chicago foodies and bloggers welcomed me to the area with a brunch and baby shower.

Needless to say, when Nicole announced that she was writing a cookbook, I was thrilled!! She has such an amazing vision when it comes to food and health. Her focus is on healthy eating without sacrificing taste and flavor. She’s a registered dietician that believes in balance and that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. I absolutely LOVE her blog, Prevention RD, and I knew I would love her cookbook just as much. And I was right. Each recipe has an awesome and large photo, easy to follow ingredients and directions, nutrition information, and a comment from Nicole herself! The cookbook is also packed full of recipes for everything from appetizers to main course dishes and even (healthy!) desserts! You must check it out!

I selected a recipe from the cookbook to make and share with my readers! I love this recipe because it uses ONE pot and it comes together super quickly. I have a week and half old baby and I was still able to whip together this dinner in no time. Thanks so much Nicole!

And here’s more good news! I have a copy of this awesome cookbook to giveaway to one lucky reader! Here’s the details!Giveaway closed and winner announced!

How to enter:

Pay a visit to Nicole’s blog then head back here and leave a comment answering the question telling a recipe of Nicole’s that you would like to (or already have!) tried! Sorry, only US residents please

Deadline & Winning Information:

The deadline for entry will be Saturday, September 21 Winner will be chosen using a random number generator and will be announced at the top of this post on Sunday, September 22 The winner will receive an email from me (so be sure to enter your correct email address!) and will have 5 days to respond. If no response is received, a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure:

I was offered a copy to review and a copy to giveaway by Nicole’s publisher. However, the opinions and review are my own!

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add chicken and onions, and saute, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned and cooked through. Transfer chicken and onions to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, add water, chicken broth, penne, and salt. Bring to a boil, and simmer 12-15 minutes, until liquid is almost absorbed, pasta is tender, and mixture is thick and syrupy. Stir in barbecue sauce and Greek yogurt. Once mixed, add reserved chicken, onions, and shredded cheese. Stir to combine and cook until everything is heated through.

In the past I have participated in and hosted virtual showers in honor of some awesome blogging friends. Well guess what! Monday it was my turn! My sweet friends Jessica, from My Baking Heart, and Krystal, from Mrs.Reguerio’s Plate, hosted a virtual baby shower in my honor! I was so touched when they offered and I knew with the two of them working together it would be fabulous.

The girls came up with an adorable theme –

And the guests contributed some seriously good looking food! Click the pictures to visit my friends and get the recipe for their tasty contributions!

Just like all of the virtual showers I have participated in, the only thing that would have made it better is if we were all really able to get together in real life to enjoy good company and good food! A huge thank you to Krystal, Jessica, Katie, Joelen, Amber, Krissy, Rachel, Kelsey, Elly, Nikki, and Nicole, for helping me celebrate my little Miss Maeve!

Weekend Dish is a place for me to get a little more personal! If you just come to Sunny Side Up for the food, feel free to skip this post but be sure to check back this week for new food photos and recipes!

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done one of these! I just can’t believe how quickly August has disappeared. Not that I want to rush things, but there are a lot of exciting things right around the corner – my due date (!!), fall, football season, cool crisp air and warm delicious food. I’m almost too excited for my own good! On that note, let’s move along to the Weekend Dish!

Blog Recap –

Tuxedo Layered Cheesecake – I always look forward to making my birthday cake and this year was no exception. I think this rich, chocolatey, cake was the perfect way to ring in my 30s.

Brownie Fudge Ripple Ice Cream – This ice cream was a great way to use up some left over brownies that I had. The fudge ripple just took it to the next level, really creating a an amazing ice cream.

Mexican Quinoa Bowls – A quick and easy, healthy, and delicious meal that is a regular in our dinner rotation. You don’t want to miss out on this!

Pregnancy Update –

Check that belly out!! I’m 38 weeks pregnant and I can’t believe how much I’ve grown! I don’t really realize it until I look at pictures. Actually, the funny thing is that when I took the picture on the left I really, really felt like I had “popped” and looked sooooo pregnant. I did have a bit of bump going on, but nothing compared the basketball I’m smuggling now!

I think a lot of people at this point are getting tired of being pregnant. I can understand why, and I am definitely getting a bit more uncomfortable, but I can’t say that I’m tired of being pregnant. I keep thinking that once she’s out, she’s out. She won’t ever be back in. All of these secret little kicks, rolls, and hiccups of hers that only I can feel are feeling even more special now that I’m nearing the end. I’m selfishly enjoying my alone time with her. 🙂 Buuuuut, on the other hand, I am so crazy excited to meet her that I wish she could come out and play NOW! I guess I just have to accept that I can’t keep her in forever, and I can’t really evict her earlier. She’ll get here when she gets here. 🙂

My life through Instagram –

My obligatory cat picture. I looked over and both cats looked like they were just passed out drunk. Guess the kitty food was good. 😉

I was naively optimistic and thought I could put my rings back on one day. Not a great idea. Cold water and oil didn’t work for getting them off!

A soaked, frozen paper towel and Windex DID do the trick. I guess Windex really is magic!

Tiff is getting pretty comfortable in the baby’s nursery. I’m pretty sure she thinks it’s a special room designed just for her.

Last week I went on a freezing extravaganza! I prepared lots of meals and stocked my freezer. Hopefully this will make for some less stressful evenings once baby gets here. *Also, I’m considering writing up a post on freezer meals. If you would be interested in a post like that let me know!

I’m a walking fool these days!

Well folks, that’s all I’ve got for today! Thank you so much for stopping by and reading. Make sure to come back later this week for fresh new posts!

In the Weekend Dish Post I wrote on Sunday I talked about how crazy it is that it is already August. It’s not crazy just because it’s a month before my due date. And it’s not crazy just because it’s already the 8th month of the year. It’s also a little bit crazy because it’s my birthday month. And not just any birthday. My 30th birthday. The big 3 – 0. I have officially said goodbye to my 20s and hello to my 30s. I needed to celebrate. With cake. A rich, chocolatey, over-the-top cake.

This cake met all 3 of my birthday cake requirements. I was initially inspired by Cheesecake Factory’s Chocolate Tuxedo Cream Cheesecake and I had hoped to recreate it, but the paranoid pregnant lady in me decided to avoid the eggs in the vanilla cream mousse. I think what I came up with instead was even better. Who doesn’t love a tall layered birthday cake?

*These amounts may seem a little weird, I adjusted the recipe so the cheesecake wouldn’t be too thick for stacking.

Directions
Preheat and oven to 300 degrees. Line an 8-inch spring form pan with a circle of parchment paper. Tightly wrap the outside of the pan with 2 sheets of foil.

In the bowl of standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and melted chocolate until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour, salt, and sugar. Beat until well combined and smooth. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between each addition, being careful not to over beat.

Pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 50 minutes. After 50 minutes, turn the oven off and set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, crack the oven door and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for about 5 minutes, then remove and place on a rack to cool completely (Stepping down like this prevents cracks!). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night to cool completely.

Into a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a standing mixer), sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a liquid measuring cup combine the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. In another liquid measuring cup, add the butter to the hot coffee and stir to melt.

Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour in half of the buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed. Add half of the hot coffee mixture and beat on low speed. Repeat with the rest of the buttermilk and hot coffee. Beat just until combined.Scrape down sides of the bowl again and then beat for another 15 seconds.

Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then carefully flip out on to a wire rack (use a knife to loosen edges of the cake if necessary). Cool cake completely. (To store over night

Directions
In a very cold bowl of a standing mixer, beat the heavy cream with a whisk attachment until it just start to thicken and form soft peaks. Add the confectioners sugar and beat until the peaks stiffen up just a little bit. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds- 1 minute, or just until stiff peaks form. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to use.

Directions
Place the first chocolate cake layer on the cake board. Drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp syrup and spread evenly across surface. Next, carefully place the cheesecake on top of the chocolate cake (it should be solid enough to carefully flip off of the spring form bottom, then just remove the parchment paper circle). Drizzle with syrup and spread across surface again. Top with the final chocolate cake layer. Drizzle with syrup and spread across surface. Frost with a thin layer of whipped cream frosting (crumb coat) and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Top with a generous amount whipped cream frosting. Spread over cake and smooth out as desired. Place leftover frosting a pastry bag fitted with desired tip and pipe a border around the top (I used a Wilton 4B tip). If desired, place melted chocolate in a Ziploc bag and drizzle over top of cake in any pattern you like.

Hi! I’m Jessica. I love cooking, baking, eating, and talking about food. My goal is to make cooking and baking, even from scratch, seem approachable. If I can give just one person the boost they need to try something new in the kitchen, I’ll be happy.